Patience
by Starsgoblue91
Summary: Yet anoter story about Jace and Alec because I love them so much, our beautiful Jalec - always taking care of each other. Like in most of my stories, Alec is having a rough time and Jace is there to help him.
1. Chapter 1

"He's our brother Izzy," Jace sighed and ran a hand through his hair

"Our _brother_ who's been in his room for three days now, our _brother_ who we've covered up for, yes," Isabelle replied, her eyes still on Jace as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Our brother who refuses to talk to-"

"Alright, alright I get it," Jace interrupted. This wasn't news to him - he'd watched Alec pretty much disappear in front of his eyes, like there was just a shell left of him and Jace hated it. He hated to see his brother this broken, his _parabatai _who normally would keep the blond in balance. "What do you think we should do then?"

"I'm not going to do anything I've tried but he doesn't listen to me"

"And what makes you think that he's going to listen to me? I've talked to him before and all he does is shut me out, you know that"

Angel, Jace had tried. But just like he himself, Alec was stubborn and wanted to deal with his problems alone. All the Lightwoood's would. It was an easy thing to say, but hard to do. In the end the siblings needed each other and they knew it - they just needed to be reminded.

"You're stubborn," Isabelle shrugged "And he's your _parabatai._"

* * *

Jace knocked on the door. After he'd waited for Alec to open it, he decided that it was no use. Alec hadn't left his room, or his bed, in a few days - not after the breakup.

"Alec?" Jace said softly as he opened the door. The room was dark, even though it was in the middle of the day. It didn't exactly help that the curtains still covered the windows either.

"Alec, are you awake?" Jace tried again and if he focused his eyes on the bed, he thought that he could see a shadow moving. He still didn't get a respons though. Jace thought for a moment Before he walked up to the window and carefully removed the green fabric around it.

"It's a beautiful day" Jace mumbled. It wasn't. It was raining but Alec didn't have to know that "You should come out and see it for yourself"

He turned to look at Alec again when he Heard footsteps at the opening door. It was Isabelle again "Well?" she half-whispered.  
Jace rolled his eyes and waved his hand for her to leave. This would take time, if not the whole day, Jace thought for himself. He mouthed for Isabelle to go away and after a few mumblings, she did.

The blond made his way to the bed to sit down on it. "Come on brother, I know you can hear me" He laid his and on what he thought could be Alec's leg. It was hard to tell because of all the blankets. "Are you cold?"  
Jace felt a little hopefull when he saw Alec's ead move from side to side under the pillow. No.

"Good. Do you mind if I join you?" Jace didn't even wait for an answer, or for Alec to make some space. Alec groaned as he felt Jace lay down beside him. "Good idea," Jace mumbled and turned to his side to place his arm around Alec's waist "We should sleep in."

* * *

Jace couldn't tell if Alec actually did go back to sleep or not, but he himself didn't. All he knew was that he wasn't going to leave his brother alone. He knew that this moment would not come again in the nearest days. Alec had told both Jace and Isabelle to leave him alone before, but this time he hadn't said anything. Not yet.  
Jace wanted to tell Alec to wake up, to talk to him, to fight with him, to eat - anything really just to actually see if Alec was still functioning. Because Jace was honestly starting to wonder. But he didn't do it. Instead he lay still, listening to Alec's breathing, because for now that was more than enough.


	2. Chapter 2

Somehow he must hae dozed off, because the next time Jace opened his eyes, Alec had turned around so he was facing him. He'd curled a little closer towards Jace but he was still asleep. Jace carefully moved to look at the watch - he'd been there for about an hour or so.

He cleared his throat to see if Alec would react "Rise and shine Sleeping Beauty" but all Alec did was to move closer, his head against Jace's chest.  
The blond smiled weakly and started to run his finger's through Alec's hair "Izzy worries about you," he began, not really caring if Alec heared him or not "I do to you know. But you'll be fine...You'll be fine."

Suddenly Alec began to mumble and Jace figured he was starting to wake up "M-Magnus.." Blue eyes met gold "Sorry broter, it's just me"

"Hm.." was all he muttered but he didn't move away and Jace was glad "Comfy?"

Alec nodded in silence but soon rolled away from the blond "Sorry"

"I don't mind. How did you sleep?"

"Okay"

Alec was starting to shut down again, Jace could tell. "So, are you hungry?"

No answer.

"Just tell me and I'll make you something."

No answer.

"Alec?" Jace tried again

"Go away" Alec's face was hidden in his pillow now and Jace could barely hear him "Please-"

"But I just got here. Sort of" Jace replied and moved so he was resting his head in his hands. "Come on"

Alec looked up from the pillows just to tell Jace to drop it.

"Nope, can't do that"

"Jace!" Alec was sitting up by now, looking at Jace with red, shining eyes "I said "

"You know me. Just as stubborn as you. No."

"Fine" Alec sighed heavily and pulled away the blanket to get up. Jace watched him in silence as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants "You've gotten thiner" Jace observed and noticed how Alec tensed "So?"

"So?" Jace asked in surprise "So you need to eat, you need to get up-"

"Don't tell me what to do Jace. Just don't" Alec warned but he sounded weaker then he'd intended to. He felt tired.

"I'm not-"

"Stop it!"

Jace looked at him with sad eyes. Not because of the fact that Alec had yelled at him, but because of what was standing in front of him. A mess.  
A mess with shaking hands, dirty hair and swollen eyes that screamed for something, someone.

"Stop it. I told you I wanted to be left a-alone and..and still you don't care-"

"I do care Alexander, that's why I'm here" Jace was standing up by now

"I don't want you here! I don't want your pitty or Izzy's or-" his voice broke and Alec turned around to wipe his eyes. Jace had seen him cry Before, Isabelle too and they'd been okay with it. But right now Crying was the last thing Alec wanted to do. Jace was already looking at him as if he was a lost case. Maybe he was.

He felt a hand on his shoulder that made Alec jerk a little. Soon he was pulled into Jace's arms and into a hug and he let himself fall. He had wished for physical Contact for so long but he couldn't say it out loud. But Jace was his _parabatai_ and Alec knew that Jace knew. He always knew.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! Alright, so this is the last chapter (I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to upload it) but if you do want me to continue or if you would like it to end in another way, just let me know and maybe, ****_maybe, _****I'll fix something for you ;) Love you all!**

* * *

"Lift your arms" Jace said softly and carefully helped Alec to get of his shirt.

They were in the bathroom now, after Jace had told Alec to take a shower. All has gone quite well until Alec had seen himself in the mirror and stopped. After that Alec self-consciously has covered himself up, not being able to move.  
Jace had decided to wait outside until Alec had finished but after he'd stood outside the door for about twenty minutes, and the water still wasn't running, he'd opened the door.

Now Alec was sitting down on the toilet seat, his eyes kept straight ahead, looking at nothing. Jace didn't say much. Now and then he told Alec that it was okay, that he was doing great, like the way you talked to a child.

"That's right..good, here we go. Do you want me to help you with the rest as well?"

The answer would be even more important than the question. If Alec said no, Jace would simply leave him alone, hoping that he hadn't offended or pushed his brother. If he would say yes, Jace would take it as slow as possible, appreciating the trust that Alec gave wasn't a big deal normally for either of them, but Jace didn't want to make Alec feel more uncomfortable then he already did. It would be a little intimate and something Magnus would normally do.

"Do you want me to come back?" Jace asked and patiently waited for Alec's answer, whether it would be a word or just a simple nod.

He tried to read his _parabatai_ - the blue-eyed boy's body language said one thing but his eyes something else. Jace knelt down in front of him "You okay?"

He already knew the answer of course. So did Alec but Jace didn't find anything else to say at the moment. Jace's eyes moved down to Alec's trembling hands and once again Jace rested his own hands on his brother's "Stop that..."

Alec kept his head down but did stop scratching his palms. "He...He doesn't-"

"What was that?" Jace asked and leaned a little closer, his eyes still on Alec's hands "Sorry I didn't hear you properly"  
Alec tried to steady his voice. His mouth felt dry and his head heavy as he tried to repeat what he had tried to say "Magnus..he doesn't - want me"

"Don't say that," Jace mumbled and kissed Alec's head "of course he does, he's just...confused"

"No" Alec half-whispered and slowly met Jace's eyes "Look"

"What do you want me to look at?"

Alec swallowed hard "Me"

So Jace looked. He looked once again on the broken boy in front of him; Alec was thinner than ever before and he looked tired. His normally deep blue eyes now shifted between blue and grey "I am looking," Jace told him and offered Alec a smile "You're still you"

Alec shook his head "I'm lost...I feel lost"

Jace sighed before he put his hands on Alec's shoulders "You're here with me. In the Institute, in your bathroom. I won't lose you" Jace promised "I know where you are, always."

**The End**


End file.
